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|
Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Truman, Mt. Lafayette
Franconia, NH, Lincoln, NH
Trailheads, measurements, times, distances, and maps are all approximate and relative to the hike(s) as shown below.
Looking down Falling Waters Trail near the Little Haystack summit
Route: Old Bridle Path, Falling Waters Trail, (Little Haystack Mountain), Franconia Ridge Trail, (Mt. Lincoln), Franconia Ridge Trail, (Mt. Truman), Franconia Ridge Trail, (Mt. Lafayette), Greenleaf Trail, Old Bridle Path
After my plans to hike somewhere along the Franconia Ridge a day earlier had been cancelled due to the weather, I still had a hankering to get over to that area. While it would have been to my advantage to start really early, I decided to wait awhile so that any morning clouds would be gone by the time I reached the ridge (the forecast was mostly sunny, in the clear).
I arrived at a fairly packed Lafayette Place parking area a little before 8 and started right away. Since I had previously ascended via the Old Bridle Path, I decided to go up via the Falling Waters Trail this time.
Soon after reaching the portion of the trail that gives it its name, I encounted a bunch of hikers, slowing down my pace dramatically. By the time I reached the top water crossing, I was finally able to set a normal pace.
The water crossings were no problem. While the lower part of the trail has some rough footing, things get better toward the top. Emerging from the trees, I could see that Mt. Lincoln was in the clouds. From the top of Little Haystack, I was able to get some occasional views of Owl's Head and Cannon Mountain through the fog/clouds.
My next stop was at Mt. Lincoln. The trail over to it is fun, with great views (not today) and some fun little scrambles. Unfortunately, Mt. Lincoln was still in a cloud when I reached it, so I didn't stick around for long. All I could see from it was a brief view of Owl's Head.
My next stop was Mt. Truman - not labelled on many maps. Since it's a few dozen feet lower than Mt. Lincoln, I had some halfway decent views from it. Above, I could see Mt. Lafayette was in the clouds. The section of trail between Mt. Truman and Mt. Lafayette reminds me of the southern Presidentials - in fact, in the clouds, it almost seems like you're walking near the ocean.
Arriving in the clouds at the summit of Mt. Lafayette, I decided to wait around for some views. After 20 or so minutes, I finally was able to get some glimpses of Garfield and Cannon.
Satisfied, I headed down to the Greenleaf Hut, then down the Old Bridle Path back to the parking lot, passing scores of folks. The last mile of trail seemed to go on forever, however soon I was at the Falling Waters junction and finally back at the parking lot.
| Hike Ratings |
|
Getting To Trailhead: |
Easy |
| Destination: |
Little Haystack Mountain |
|
Length: |
Moderate |
|
Steepness: |
Difficult |
|
Navigation: |
Easy |
|
Views: |
Excellent |
|
Crowds: |
Heavy |
| Destination: |
Mt. Lincoln |
|
Length: |
Moderate |
|
Steepness: |
Difficult |
|
Navigation: |
Moderate |
|
Views: |
Minimal (due to weather) |
|
Crowds: |
Minimal |
| Destination: |
Mt. Truman |
|
Length: |
Difficult |
|
Steepness: |
Moderate |
|
Navigation: |
Easy |
|
Views: |
Excellent |
|
Crowds: |
Moderate |
| Destination: |
Mt. Lafayette |
|
Length: |
Difficult |
|
Steepness: |
Moderate |
|
Navigation: |
Easy |
|
Views: |
Excellent |
|
Crowds: |
Moderate |
|
| Hike Stats |
|
Date Hiked: |
Saturday, July 12, 2008 |
| Hike Commenced: |
7:57 AM |
| Parking Elevation: |
1,770' |
| Destination: |
Little Haystack Mountain |
| Ascent Commenced: |
7:58 AM |
| Summit Reached: |
9:33 AM |
| Time Elapsed: |
01:35 |
| Trailhead Elevation: |
1,785' |
| Summit Elevation: |
4,780' |
| Vertical Gain: |
3,195' |
| Destination: |
Mt. Lincoln |
| Ascent Commenced: |
9:33 AM |
| Summit Reached: |
9:54 AM |
| Time Elapsed: |
00:22 |
| Trailhead Elevation: |
4,780' |
| Summit Elevation: |
5,089' |
| Vertical Gain: |
469' |
| Destination: |
Mt. Truman |
| Ascent Commenced: |
9:56 AM |
| Summit Reached: |
10:08 AM |
| Time Elapsed: |
00:12 |
| Trailhead Elevation: |
5,089' |
| Summit Elevation: |
5,000' |
| Vertical Gain: |
130' |
| Destination: |
Mt. Lafayette |
| Ascent Commenced: |
10:09 AM |
| Summit Reached: |
10:23 AM |
| Time Elapsed: |
00:14 |
| Trailhead Elevation: |
5,000' |
| Summit Elevation: |
5,260' |
| Vertical Gain: |
380' |
|
|
| Hike Ended: |
1:04 PM |
| Hike Time Elapsed: |
05:07 |
| Hike Distance: |
9 miles |
| Hike Vertical Gain: |
4,354' |
|
One of the many cascades along the Falling Waters Trail
Old Bridle Path trailhead
Looking at Cannon Mountain from the Little Haystack summit
Looking up the Franconia Ridge Trail on the way to Mt. Lincoln
A wildflower along the Franconia Ridge Trail
Looking at Owl's Head from the Mt. Lincoln summit
Looking back at Mt. Lincoln on the Franconia Ridge Trail on the way to Mt. Truman
Looking southwest at Cannon Mountain from the Mt. Truman summit
Looking up the Franconia Ridge Trail near Mt. Lafayette
Looking at North Lafayette from the Mt. Lafayette summit
Bog laurel along the Old Bridle Path
Directions to trailhead: Take Interstate 93 north from Lincoln to the Lafayette Place exit.
Back to Little Haystack Mountain Profile
Back to Mt. Lincoln Profile
Back to Mt. Truman Profile
Back to Mt. Lafayette Profile
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